Multi-Cultural Affairs
Participants of the
Minority Assistance Program, McNair and Student Support Services
Your are invited to the 1st Annual
"Building Academic Success"
Student Retreat
Date: Saturday February 13, 1999
Time: 9:00-2:00p.m.
Place: City Campus Union
Watch the Daily Nebraskan, C-VIS and your mail for more information, or call 472-2027
See You There!
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Asthma Patients Wanted for
Asthma Research Study
h Males/Females at least 15 years old using inhaler such as
h Albuterol,Ventolin or Proventil as needed. Nine office
h visits over approx. 6 months. Free study-related exam &
E Study Medication.
(Compensation for Participation.
For More Information, contact
Marge or Kelli at 464-6139
Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Associates, PC
600 North Cotaer Blvd, Suite 206 Lincoln, NE 6S50S
' Sue Tidball ”
Award
for
Creative Humanity
This annual award is presented to
one, two or three people (students,
faculty or staff at UNL).
It recognizes significant
contributions to the development
of a humane, educationally
creative, just, and caring
community on the UNL campus.
Nominations for the award may be submitted by anyone associated with UNL.
More information, nomination forms, and guidelines are available at:
• IFC-Panhellenic, NU 332
• Residence Hall front desks, SA’s & Maintenance offices
• Most college, school and division offices
• Student Involvement offices, NU 200 & ECU 300
• Culture Center, 333 N. 14th St.
• Human Resources, Admin. 407
• Facility Maintenance & Landscape Service offices
• Office of Student Affairs, Admin. 106
• Cornerstone, 640 N. 16th 68588-0440 - 476-0355
• Website: http://www.unl.edu/tidball/
Nominations are due February 8,1999
! ATTENTION
[INTERNATIONAL
| STUDENTS!
I Have you completed the student insurance waiver form?
■
I
I
I
I
I
I
I
’Waivers can be completed a*
the University Health Center#
15th & U Streets.
Call 472-7435 for more info.
■ UNL requires mandatory insurance coverage to comply with immigration regula
| tions. International students are to show proof of insurance or they will be billed
■ for the UNL student health ranee plan on their tuition statements. A charges
_ of $207 00 per semester will be added to tuition bills unless a waiver is obtained
■ from the Student Insurance Coordinator at the University Health Center.
3 Courtesy Photo
HANK MITCHELL (Bill Paxton, left) reassures his brother Jacob (Billy Bob Thornton) in “A Simple Plan,” a typical
caper about greed, deceit and family that winds up with atypical twists.
Simple Plan isn t so simple
■ Sam Raimi and Scott
B. Smith load their movie
with paranoia, greed, lies,
violence, money and Billy
Bob Thornton, so of
course it’s got to be good.
By Jeff Randall
Senior staff writer
First impressions may mean
everything, but “A Simple Plan” is a
film that defies first impressions.
The film’s trailers make it look
and sound like a visual remake of
“Fargo.” The film’s plot synopsis
sounds like a thousand other crime
caper stories.
But “A Simple Plan” treads famil
iar ground only on its surface. Just
beneath it, director Sam Raimi and
screenwriter Scott B. Smith infuse
this tale with emotion, surprise and
deft pacing. And the cast, led by Bill
Paxton and Billy Bob Thornton, is
equally compelling.
The plot goes something like this
- Hank Mitchell (Paxton) is a respon
sible husband and soon-to-be father
who, along with his slow-witted older
brother Jacob (Thornton) and his
brother’s alcoholic best friend Lou
(Brent Briscoe), finds $4 million in a
downed plane in the woods. This mot
ley trio decide to split the money
among themselves after sitting on it
for a few months, just to make sure no
one comes looking for it.
But soon enough, the threesome’s
paranoia, greed and anxiety take over,
turning their plan into an irreversible
mess. Bodies start piling up, more
laws start to get broken and all of the
characters slowly begin to realize
what they’ve gotten themselves into.
The mental and eventually physi
cal struggles between the characters
create a tense atmosphere throughout
the film. And the uncharacteristic
visual restraint of director Raimi
pushes this tension to the forefront,
rather than relegating it to subplot
status.
Smith’s screenplay moves along
well and throws in enough subtle
sidetracks to keep things interesting.
Paxton is convincing as an honest
man who finds himself corrupted by
his seemingly innocent ideas, as is
Briscoe, who seems particularly at
ease in the role of a down-and-out
alcoholic. Bridget Fonda is a bit
uneven as Paxton’s wife, who is
shocked at first by her husband’s
actions but soon becomes a willing
accomplice.
But the film’s best performance
comes courtesy of Thornton, who
surpasses even his past performances
in “Sling Blade” and “One False
Film Review
The Facts
Title: “A Simple Plan”
Stars: Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton,
Bridget Fonda, Brent Briscoe
Director: Sam Raimi
Rating: R (language, violence, sexual
content)
Grade: A
Five Words: Conventional story with
unconventional twists
Move” as the dimwitted Jacob. As the
tragedies and complications in his
life arise, Thornton’s character
methodically evolves from a day-to
day slacker into a morally driven,
philosophical man. Through his con
versations with other characters,
especially with Paxton’s, he reveals
every subtlety of his character; and he
does so in good time, always knowing
when to let the next trait slip.
At the end of it all, it seems as
though Jacob is a personification of
what “A Simple Plan” is all about -
the corruption of blind innocence,
and its equally disheartening and
uplifting results.
Much more than a remake or a
rehash, “A Simple Plan” is a film that
knows not only what to give its audi
ence, but thankfully also knows when
to say when.
“OH
Zack Hexum
“Introducing...” |
What Have You Records
Grade: B+
It can take local musicians several
years to get a break they need. For
jazz prodigy Zack Hexum, it was as
easy as asking his big brother.
Zack Hexum, the younger brother
of Nick Hexum, lead vocalist and
guitarist of 311, has shown that there
is yet more musical talent in the fam
ily.
Zack is a 20-year-old who attends
North Texas State, which is consid
ered the top jazz saxophone school in
the nation. There, Zack plays lead
tenor in the top lab band. He has also
recently released his first album with
the obvious title “Introducing ...”
“Introducing ...” proves that hav
ing a brother in the music industry is
not without its perks.
The album is produced by Nick
Hexum and has been released on his
own What Have You Records, the
same label that released 31 Is Omaha
released records, “Dammit!,”
“Unity” and “Hydroponic.” The
record was mixed by 311 producer
Scott “Scotch” Ralston, adding some
big names to a debut album.
However, of the 311 talent pool
used, the biggest effect on
“Introducing ...”
is from 31 l’s
drummer Chad
Sexton. While
31 l’s sound does
n’t involve many
jazz beats,
Sexton’s rudimen
tary drum back
ground gives a
fresh feel to the
music, loosely
playing styles
ranging from jazz
to almost hip-hop.
Still, Zack
Hexum is the real
star here. His
funky jazz style
incorporates
numerous instru
ments, including
tenor, alto and
soprano saxophones, flute, key
boards. piano, guitar and bass, all of
which he plays himself
Plus, all of the songs were written
by Zack and each features a different
style, such as jazz with reggae, funk
and salsa grooves.
With Zack not afraid to twist the
songs in all different directions as he
goes, the solos really stand out.
Favorites include “Hective," char
acterized by its strong, recurring
melody, as well as the subtle “Last
Night’s Dream.” with its mild saxo
phone that occasionally will go after
a high note Directly contrasting
“Last Night’s Dream” is “What the
Hell,” where Sexton drops some fat
beats in the style of 31 l’s“Don’t Stay
Home.”
Above all. “Introducing ...” is a
nice and relaxing debut by an artist
who should be making a big name for
himself in years to come.
-Patrick Miner
